Will Cisco update the track any time soon?

Hello guys,

I just finished my 'NP certification (passed ONT 2 hours ago) and now I am moving to the much more interesting for me 'IP. I was just wondering, is there any change for Cisco to decide to update the course soon like they did with CCNP. I know there is nothing officially announced about that, but given the fact that currently the CCIP program is quite old and with the new changes on CCNP it seems logical that they will make changes here as well.
For example they can move the multicasting and Is-Is to some revised CCIP course.

Have you heard something like that?

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Sett

Looks like Cisco are announcing Service Provider Operations track for Associate, Professional and Expert Level. CCNP: Service Provider will be available from July 2010. Details are not announced yet but perhaps it will replace CCIP

mikej412

IT Certification - Cisco - Cisco Systems

CCNA Service Provider Operations
*available end of April 2010

CCNP Service Provider Operations
*available July 2010

Service Provider Operations - CCIE - Cisco Systems

Sett

I saw that, but there isn't detail description of what is covered and how much exams are required.
And I have this bad feeling that Cisco will make CCNA: SP a prerequisite for the CCNP: SP.
I hate this.

They are listing two career paths: Service Provider and Service Provider Operations. I don't get what is the difference. I know we have to wait for the official description, but for now I sticking to the CCIP course, somehow my guess is that it will be more serious cert than CCNP:SP.

mikej412

Here was the initial announcement in January....
Cisco Introduces First Service Provider Operations Certification Track and Refreshes CCNP Certification to Reflect Evolving Network Engineering Job Roles -> Cisco News

And the recently updated Cisco Learning Network Service Provider Operations track announcement.
https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/docs/DOC-6488

This is the "best" overview description of the CCNA and CCNP versions of the Service Provider Operations track. It also has the 10 second CCIE SPO Description.
Differences in Cisco Service Provider Operations certifications

Here is an older "availability" doc. Since the main Cert page has more specific information for the CCNA/CCNP SPO certs, this may only be useful to someone targeting the CCIE Service Provider Operations.

Availability of Cisco Service Provider Operations certifications

And if you poke around some of the custhelp links you may find a few more tidbits....
http://ciscocert.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5873/related/1

Paul Boz

I can tell you what, it needs it. When I did the BGP/MPLS composite the simulated IOS was on 12.2. There were antique commands on that exam.

I'll be one of the first to sign up for that CCNA/CCNP service provider track, you can bet on that. I'm sure my employer won't pay a dime for it but that's my passion so thats where I'll be.

adriansizemore

Sett wrote: »

Hello guys,

I just finished my 'NP certification (passed ONT 2 hours ago) and now I am moving to the much more interesting for me 'IP. I was just wondering, is there any change for Cisco to decide to update the course soon like they did with CCNP. I know there is nothing officially announced about that, but given the fact that currently the CCIP program is quite old and with the new changes on CCNP it seems logical that they will make changes here as well.
For example they can move the multicasting and Is-Is to some revised CCIP course.

Have you heard something like that?

i sat in on a test bgp class with the guys who are actually building the "Operations" course (CCNP-SP). I have their email if you have any questions.

ColbyG

Paul Boz wrote: »

I can tell you what, it needs it. When I did the BGP/MPLS composite the simulated IOS was on 12.2. There were antique commands on that exam.

I'll be one of the first to sign up for that CCNA/CCNP service provider track, you can bet on that. I'm sure my employer won't pay a dime for it but that's my passion so thats where I'll be.

What will you use to practice?

Sett

Thanks for the links mikej412.
This pretty much answers my questions:

Difference between new Service Provider and current Service Provider certification

From what I red there, CCIP is the more valuable cert for me. Looks like CCNP:SP doesn't go so deep in the technical aspects. But it might be a good idea to get it as well...

adriansizemore

Sett wrote: »

Thanks for the links mikej412.
This pretty much answers my questions:

Difference between new Service Provider and current Service Provider certification

From what I red there, CCIP is the more valuable cert for me. Looks like CCNP:SP doesn't go so deep in the technical aspects. But it might be a good idea to get it as well...

Again, i took the CCNP-SP bgp pilots course and i asked them (CCNP-SP creators) why they are creating the new certification path and what the differences were.

Their main reason was to create a certification that is more "operations" oriented. They felt that the CCIP, being around as long as it had, was not nearly as successful as the CCNP. They also felt the CCIP is geared more towards engineering and not "operations". They also pushed their Cisco Works program, which in my opinion really sucked.

However, I was able to get more involved with Cisco's IOS-XR in greater detail. Although we use that version of IOS in my companies backbone, It was really great to do some configuration routines in a lab environment.

To tell you the truth, I have not been able to email the project lead, Jim Lee, since I took the pilot course, but if you have a specific question, I will be more than happy to relay it to him.

mikej412

adriansizemore wrote: »

However, I was able to get more involved with Cisco's IOS-XR in greater detail.

Don't bug those guys -- I still can't believe they don't have the exam blueprints out yet

You can probably answer the "big questions" -- Is IOS-XR (and the "Next Generation Network" stuff) the "new" focus? And what do you think they meant by "operations" -- were they focused on just teaching a few of the "standard solutions" rather than teaching all the options and letting you figure out the best way to do things on your own?

I priced a CRS-1 on eBay..... the $70 flash memory card was "reasonably priced"

adriansizemore

Well, the IOS-XR, from a CLI point of view, is so closely related to JUNOS it's scary. If you like JUNOS, you will love IOS-XR.

As for the operations SP track, they (course developers) said that they wanted to focus on more of the operations parameters of the protocols than "configuring" them. I took that to mean they wanted to ensure the individual knew how the protocols worked in a production environment, and how to troubleshoot them, than knowing how to configure them.

Sett

This sounds interesting. I like that IOS XR resembles JUNOS - it is very well structured routing OS imho.

I hope that the exams will not contain too much filler (although this "management process" sounds just like that)

Do you know how many exam will be required for CCNP:SP, will it share some exams with CCIP and will the CCNA:SP be a prerequisite ?

I am guessing 3/no/yes

networker050184

Cisco Works part of the course?!?!?! NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! I was thinking about looking into this one when some more info came out, but I have no access to IOS-XR and it sounds like this thing will be full of filler from adriansizemore's assessment. Guess we will have to wait for the full exam blueprints to know for sure.

Paul Boz

ColbyG wrote: »

What will you use to practice?

The DocCD, like every other Cisco exam I've ever taken.

Also, I have a good bit of service provider administration experience so there should be many familiar concepts. I looked at the links provided in this thread and it sounds like its basically a NOC cert. I worked in the NOC for five years doing many of the subjects (monitoring, core to edge provisioning, etc). I think it will be challenging and fun. I don't even work for an SP any more, but service provider networks are to me what model trains are for some hobbyists.

ColbyG

I wouldn't feel comfortable working towards those certs without a good amount of IOS-XR experience.

adi3112

I'm in the same spot, as "sett", the creator of this post.
Just finished CCNP and looking towards the CCIP.
I already started reading the QoS book, because i have the QoS knowledge from ONT(which i failed once because of the SDM&Wireless).

I'm afraid that they will replace the old CCIP exam and i will have to take the 3 exams left ASAP and i'm not sure if i would be able to do so in 6months.

@adrian: can you ask the fellows from Cisco if they know anything about retiring the CCIP cert?

Thanks!

DPG

Cisco pushed back the release of the CCNA Service Provider Operations and CCNP Service Provider Operations to May and July 2010 respectively.

CChN

An associate-level service provider certification? So is it the CCNA with "show ldp neighbor" attached?

DPG

CChN wrote: »

An associate-level service provider certification? So is it the CCNA with "show ldp neighbor" attached?

Hey, NOC monkeys need recognition too!

APA

Paul Boz wrote: »

I'll be one of the first to sign up for that CCNA/CCNP service provider track, you can bet on that. I'm sure my employer won't pay a dime for it but that's my passion so thats where I'll be.

CCIP was a very interesting track for me..... but I'll def agreee that it does need a once over to give a bit more relevance to todays commands\images....